cover image Jesus, Life Coach Journal: Training Your Life

Jesus, Life Coach Journal: Training Your Life

Laurie Beth Jones. Thomas Nelson Publishers, $12.99 (208pp) ISBN 978-1-4041-0180-7

Jones, whose books Jesus, Life Coach and Jesus, CEO have sought to infuse spiritual values into the workplace, here offers a derivative journal that takes the four key principles of her Life Coach message and urges readers to compose their own answers to leading questions about those principles. Part I is about focusing energy and prioritizing goals; Part II deals with balance and being ""centered""; Part III defines productivity in comparison to mere busy-ness; while Part IV encourages readers to aim for fulfillment, not just worldly success. At times, Jones's touchy-feely imagery undermines her more cogent reflections. In a section on ""readiness,"" for example, she offers a perceptive rumination on the difference between a therapist (one who counsels and listens) and a coach (one who challenges and motivates), but then spoils it with a silly question for reflection: ""Where in your life are you like a passive pumpkin that has a happy face, but no feet to go anywhere?"" This positive-thinking manual may inspire some who have read Jesus, Life Coach and want to personalize its practices, but it's a disappointing companion volume.